conquering fear?

[liseybeast]

Can anyone give me advice on how to get over fear of a skill?

Some of you may know I've been having trouble with my back handspring for awhile. I started twisting it one day out of no where. One of the ones I twisted ended up with me landing on my forehead and with my arm pinned under me, causing my shoulder to be out of commission for a few weeks. Last night I tried them, but twisted it. I can do drills for them fine and am perfectly straight over a barrel, so my coaches want me to do them on a mat with a spot. But as soon as I do them w/out the barrel I twist and the longer the twisting continues the worse they get. My coach said because I'm now scared of them I've created a mental block. How do you get past the fear? I know I have the ability to do them.

 

[Billy]

Doc Ali's articles have been wonderful for my daughter. You can check them out here:
Head Games - Gymnastics Articles - The Athlete Warrior: 10 Principles for Becoming a Champion Part 1

 

[LizzieLac]

When I was running in college, our coach spent some time on visualization exercises. For us, we were supposed to visualize a strong run - what did our form look like, how would we feel during that run or race, etc. The idea was to find a way for the mind to comprehend what the body had not yet.

I think for gymnastics the art of visualization is key. In your mind, picture you completing the skill. Think about your body, your form, the muscles you are using. Think about how it feels physically, mentally and emotionally when you are "getting it." The intent is to replicate all of this when actually performing the skill.

I hope this helps.